Never Miss A House

Design Star: Taking the Plane to Nowhere

Okay. So lots of you wrote in last week and insisted that you are still watching “Design Star” with me and faithfully reading my weekly recaps. You know what that means, right? I will keep recapping and you have to keep reading.

Tonight’s episode was the fourth one of the season and it started out with our wannabe Design Stars sitting around on a giant floaty swing-bed thing on a porch I don’t remember seeing before.

Even though they all wish Tracee had gone instead, Awesome Mike instructs the gang to be nicer to her from now on, which is a little surprising considering he was one of her biggest haters. (Remember when he referred to her as “Mommy Dearest”?)

But that was all in the past! This is today. Stephanie finds a note in the kitchen that tells them to pack a bag and bring their passport to the airport tomorrow morning. She tells the camera, “This is either DEATH or we’re gonna get something GOOD.”

Wow, that seems a little extreme. But clearly, this is one girl who has watched her share of reality TV. Things always have the potential for going either way.

They report to the airport and line up next to a hangar with a private jet sitting on the tarmac. Clive Pearse makes one of his dramatic entrances, this time popping out of the plane.

Each contestant chooses a paint can. They lift the lids to reveal the name of a country. Stephanie and Trish get Mexico. Jen and Tracee both get Italy and look a little freaked out that they may have to work together again (you’ll remember it didn’t go so well the first time around). Mikey V and Matt get Thailand.

But Awesome Mike’s lid is blank. What does this mean? That he gets to pick his destination. He goes for Spain, which he apparently has been to many times.

The hangar door opens to reveal…seven empty “rooms” for them to decorate.

Clive admits that he was just kidding again with the whole plane/passport ruse. Ha-ha-ha. They’re not going anywhere unless you count Michael’s Craft Store.

He explains that they get 12 hours, $500, and 2 gallons of paint to transform their little white cubicles into Mexico, Thailand, Italy, and Spain.

They’re clearly disappointed that they’re not going anywhere after all, but seem mostly relieved that they don’t have to work in teams this time around.

Endorsement alert! They head to Michael’s. They have an hour and $500 to shop for everything they need.

Awesome Mike scoops up every big poster frame he can find and explains he’s going to take the plexiglass out of them and put them on the floor to create a glass effect. Because, you know, everybody loves glass floors! He tells the camera: “It’s gonna look ferosh–or atrosh.” My thoughts exactly.

Matt explains that he’s going for a super-clean modern Thai look with an interpretation of a Buddhist temple.

Stephanie is doing a beach cabana look and stocks up on lots of “curly wood thingys” (doesn’t everyone immediately think “curly wood thingys” when they imagine a cabana?).

Tracee’s doing a romantic Italian…gondola? Did I hear her right? She assures us, “My idea is incredible and I think I’m going to win this.” Well, okay, then. She’s always so confident!

Awesome Mike is feeling cocky, too: “As far as these people know, I’m just this dumb little dingy person and I’m no competition. They’re gonna feel real stupid when I come in and kick their butts.” Um, yeah. Real stupid.

Tracee is in such a hurry that her cart swipes a shelf or two and things go flying. Someone shouts, “Clean up in Aisle 4!”

Shopping time is up, but the contestants look pleased with their finds.

Back to their work areas in the hangar, where it’s time to start decorating.

Awesome Mike can’t for the life of him figure out how the table saw works. He asks Mikey V for help, who clearly has spent some time behind one before.

Let’s pause to watch Mikey V work the saw, shall we?

Okay, this might get me in trouble, but I’ll admit I’d watch an entire show of Mikey V. working with power tools. (Is that so wrong??)

Tracey is painting a chandelier in her room. Awesome Mike takes the time to stop by her cubicle and rave that he “freakin’ loves it!”

Then he turns to the camera and says, “It’s freakin’ tragic!” He shakes his head. “Tracee’s entire room is looking tragic. Capital T-ragic.”

Meanwhile, Matt is planning to take the sofa cushions in his room and rearrange them somehow to resemble…a Thai temple? He’s lost me here, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. He hasn’t failed us yet. And I was skeptical about his black room last week that turned out pretty cool.

He mentions that “Todd from last season broke furniture up for a room. I’m taking it to the next level.” They show us a photo of Todd breaking a table over his head:

This is how Todd’s room turned out last season. It was sort of Typhoon Chic. I admit I didn’t really get it then, either, but the judges loved it, as I recall. It was creative, I’ll have to hand him that. And Todd was always entertaining to watch.

Is it just me, or do these flashbacks from last season just remind us how much better the contestants were then?

Just then, Jen runs past Trish’s work station and–CRASH!

She trips over Trish’s glass vases and breaks two of them.

She apologizes profusely and offers candles from her room.

But Trish doesn’t want them. She’s mad. “Are you asking if I’m angry? Yes, I’m angry.” So much for the symmetry of her room!

It’s kind of pathetic that this is the most drama they can seem to squeeze out of this episode. Is anyone else missing the ghost as much as I am?

Back at Matt’s cubicle, he’s having serious doubts about his sofa-cushion temple. “How am I gonna make this work?” he asks. “Why did I think this would work? Why did I think that this was gonna happen when it’s clearly not?” He thinks it’s horrible, and it’s hard to disagree with his assessment.

Stephanie, who is always a big busty ball of sunshine, chirps that she likes it! “It’s like a spaceship!”

Matt sighs. “Great.” He picks up a broom and starts to sweep his space, mumbling that it’s “like swabbing the decks on the Titanic.”

Awesome Mike, however, is finished early and feeling fine. He tells us, “I’m gonna win! End of story. Period!” And he isn’t gonna lie–he’s gonna be the next Design Star.

Awesome Mike has time on his hands, so he stops by Tracee’s room to tell her, “FYI, love the bed. It’s ferosh. I hate you, it’s so good.” Then, swiveling expertly to face the camera, he stage whispers, “When I see that bed I think of Barbie’s Dream House. T-ragic.”

Tracee is feeling her room, though. She insists, “If I go home for this one, with that room, then I think it would be a little crazy.”

Capital C-razy.

Well, this is fun–“Designed to Sell” host Lisa LaPorta makes an appearance with Angelo Surmelis, the new host of “Rate My Space.” They remind us what real Design Stars are like.

Okay, time for the judging to begin.

All of the rooms started out as blank white boxes, like this:

It’s sort of like those photos of polar bears in snow storms. You can’t even see the room. Jennifer is up first with her room inspired by Italy. Here’s how Jennifer’s Italian room turned out:

Sorry about all the extra lines from my TV. It’s like all that pattern freaked it out.

Cynthia Rowley loves the painted walls. Vern says, “It’s really, really good.” Martha loves it. (Am I the only one surprised that they like it so much?)

Next up: Tracee’s version of “old Italy meets new.” She was going for drama and romance:

Cynthia dubs it “cartoony, like a theater set.” (I concur.)

Vern says, “I hate this room. This is not for me a good room.” But Martha…likes it?

(Does it look like part of the headboard was broken and falling over? Why do they not mention that?)

Awesome Mike shows off his “hot 2008 loungey club in Barcelona” next:

Vern: “I look more Spanish than that room does.” Ouch.

Martha couldn’t tell what was going on with the floor. When Awesome Mike explains it, they don’t look any more pleased with it than before.

Cynthia agrees with Vern that it “just doesn’t have the feeling of Spain.”

Trish created the look of a “sophisticated and relaxing” hotel in Mexico:

Martha wants to know “Where’s the Mexico?”

Vern is pleased that it’s less traditional than Trish’s earlier work, with clean lines that show him she’s versatile.

Cynthia liked the rough, natural floor.

Okay. Stephanie and her poolside cabana in Mexico. Apparently at night:

Vern is blown away. I’m starting to realize that all you have to do this season is paint a room black and the judges will fall all over themselves to praise it. How is this a cabana in Mexico? I’m confused. But Vern loves it. He says “It shows remarkable sophistication and remarkable restraint.”

Martha says “the lighting is brilliant.” And Cynthia praises Stephanie for her ability to create a mood.

Martha says it hit her over the head with Thailand (and not in a good way). But Cynthia likes the four ottomans pushed together with the pillows on them.

We’re up to Matt now, and his interpretation of a Buddhist temple:

And…we’re all left scratching our heads over this one, the judges included. Martha couldn’t tell what it was. It reminds Cynthia of the forts children make out of sofa cushions. And Vern calls it “so abstract, it’s like Thailand got up and left the room.”

They’re all sent off to the Green Room while the judges deliberate.

I don’t know what it is about the Green Room, but it brings out the weepiness in all of the contestants. Tonight Awesome Mike was crying on Jen’s shoulder and saying, “I’m the one goin’ home!” Then Tracey cried a little, too.

She asked, “I mean, did my room suck or something?” The silence was deafening. I could almost hear the crickets chirping outside.

They file back before the judges, and Martha gives them a good scolding this week (it was Cynthia’s job last week) about, bottom line, stepping up their game. Nobody stood out this week, she says. They weren’t real impressed with anyone’s room.

Jen and Stephanie are deemed the best of the bunch. Mikey V and Trish are declared “good enough” and are therefore safe. Which leaves Matt, Tracee, and Awesome Mike in the bottom three.

Awesome Mike sobs, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry!”

But it’s too late. Clive announces, “Michael. Your show has been canceled.”

His final words, as he enters the service elevator of doom: “I just didn’t want to disappoint my mom. I want my mom right now!”

Oh, boy. I’m sensing some major mother issues there.

So what did you guys think of this episode? Did the right person go home? I was sure this was Tracee’s final week. Mostly, I’m wondering who’s going to provide the comic relief now that Awesome Mike is gone? I can’t help but feel like his departure is tragic, capital T-ragic.

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Never Miss A House

Comments

WHOA!… Tracee deserved to go home, and YES they should have kept Mike for comic relief….however, this episode offered some good lessons…Mike was overly confident and he paid the price, and I think the judges are trying to give Traceee a chance to redeem herself (God knows why? after that Gondola!)…

poor Mike, he spent too much time in Discotheques in Barcelona…but after his lame “I want my Mommy right now” I don’t think he was ready to be on the show….or out after dark!

Ok, let me start off by saying that I don’t watch this show. However, I absolutely love your recaps. They make me laugh out loud and I feel like I get all of the storylines, etc from your recap. So please keep it up, I love them 🙂

It’s not just you. I couldn’t- for the life of me- figure out WHY they liked Jen’s room so much. Other than the paint on the walls, it was very, VERY unimaginative! I thought it looked like a grandma’s house!! I liked the pillows she wrote on with a sharpie, too, I guess. If the walls and pillows made her win, that’s sad. lol Everyone’s rooms were so disappointing.

What is up with the contestants getting “tricked” every episode? It’s not even good tricks…it’s just mean! “Bring your passport?” Was that necessary? lol

I had to mute the tv when Awesome Mike was crying for his Mom at the end. Holy moly. That was hard to watch. lol

I was thinking that it was a little ‘too’ challenging when your resource was a craft/hobby store. Couldn’t they have done “HobbyLobby”? At least that one has a lot of home decor items. I DO love Michaels–go there all the time, but just thought it wasn’t a good fit for this challenge.

When they flashed back to Todd’s room from last season I kept wishing there were people that talented in this pool. The rooms were awful, all of them lacking. But I agree with the comment about Michael’s being their only store – and will add that the furniture they were using didn’t help either. Those are the kinds of couches/cushions students use ’cause they can’t afford real furniture. At least with last year there was actual furniture. Multi-colored cushions? not something to jump up and down about.

I agree about the furniture they were provided. Not much to work with there. Other years, there were at least tables or bookcases to use as wood. I really want Tracee to be sent packing; she seems to have no talent except for thinking she has talent. But, I’m so glad Michael went home because I couldn’t take one more second of his obnoxious, whining personality. You know, I don’t think the craft store was the problem. Last year, the ultimate winner, Kim Myles did some interesting things with the table. The room doesn’t have to be functional; it just has to photograph well. So, I think they could have done it with the craft store finds. I thought Jennifer’s walls and pillows were good and that’s it. I thought Stephanie’s cabana thing was good and creative. But hands down, I thought Matt’s concept was the most creative. He wasn’t able to pull it off and that’s too bad, but at least he continues to think outside the box. I think ultimately he will be the winner.

Having to use Michael’s was a challenge but last year they had to use a .99 cent store and they came up with some really creative stuff. This years group seems to think that paint on the walls and a couple of pillows = a designed room. Last nights challenge was very disappointing and I’m starting to get tired of waiting to see if anybody is talented. Plus I agree that the “gotcha’s” need to go, it’s very lame. I liked the pattern on Jennifer’s walls- at least she did something. I didn’t get the cabana thing and I was surprised that they nailed Mikey V for looking like Thai takeout. It was over the top but you wouldn’t mistake it for anything else (maybe lose the chinese lanterns). Michael acted like a highschool girl but he was somewhat entertaining. Dr. Phil might want to intervene in that whole “I want my Mom thing”- yikes. I really didn’t expect him to go home after the room he and Matt did last week. Matt did try to go big and he’s done that before and has done really well so hopefully he’ll redeem himself next week.

I don’t know why people need Tivos when there are such great reviews out there like this! I missed the last show so this was perfect! Now if only you could review all of my “regular” shows…

I love that you take the time to get all of these TV shots and your commentary is priceless! Oh, and I loved the flashback. I was trying to remember why Todd broke that table and I had to do was scroll down.

I thought by now I would see someone that stuck out….not happening for me. I don’t think this group is very talented. I’ll miss Mike. Sure wish they got rid of Tracee; this is the second time as far as i’m concerned that she got a pass. Although they have to keep someone for comic relief I guess !!!

I may stop watching the show ’cause you’re blog is soooooooo much better! I agree with everyone on the lack of design star talent this go ’round. And the “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry” and “I want my mommy, I want my mommy” mantras C-reeped me out. As shocked as I was to see him go home (if they don’t send Tracee and her nasty hair plugs packin’ next week I’m done), I think the DS production folk may have seen they had a guy with “issues” on their hands so sent him home for mental health reasons as much as poor design. I mean, TRACEE. Sorry, can’t let go of that one.

And, re: your comment:

“Okay, this might get me in trouble, but I’ll admit I’d watch an entire show of Mikey V. working with power tools. (Is that so wrong??)”

Your recaps are great!! I thought Tracee should have gone home before Michael. Shouldn’t their decision on who to send home be based on all of their work up until now, not just the current project? Michael was so obnoxious though and all that crying and the stuff about his mother. CRAZEEEE!!! Tracee doesn’t seem too talented though and she doesn’t get along with anyone.

Julia, a wonderful recap as always! I’d have to agree with others and say that your recap is almost better than watching the show itself. I don’t think that shopping at Michael’s should have been a handicap for anyone – last year it was the Dollar store and they did some amazing things. I found myself longing for the good ol’ days of dollar store talent and a show full of contestants that don’t fall short every time. Could we bring Todd back and let him win this year??
And I don’t even know what to say about poor Michael. Ouch. That was painful to watch.

What a train wreck – all of those rooms were terrible!!! And Michael’s? I couldn’t do anything but make a bow and some cheap jewelry from Michaels! At least give them a better store to work from, like Hobby Lobby! I want my mom? scaaaary!!

I loved Jennifer’s room! It was really well done considering the time and budget considerations. Did you happen to notice that there wasn’t a single lamp in any of the rooms. That might be because Michael’s doesn’t really sell them. I am so under impressed by this season.

I love your recaps! It was a relief when they sent not-so-Awesome Michael home after he started sobbing during the judging. I really thought he’d be curled into a fetal position in the Service Elevator of Doom before it got to the lobby. Tracee is so incredibly annoying though–did you notice how pleased she looked when the judges trashed a competitor and how PO’d she was when one was praised? She’s shown no talent at all, so far. Are they keeping her around for the drama?

I’m baffled by this show. Wish they would show more of the judges commentary – Michael was a twit and I’m glad he’s out of the running, but why was his room “not” Spain but yet Stephanie’s “is” Mexico?

I knew Michael was dead meat the moment they started showing him playing to the camera sotto voice while lying thru his teeth to Tracey about her room. Like they can afford to keep replacing his ‘liar, liar, pants on fire’ wardrobe if he made it to the end. Should have let his drama queen ass keep on walking during the selection process imho.

I think the producers are making the eliminations. It certainly doesn’t have anything to do with design. Otherwise, why is the guy with the interesting floor idea going home? (Granted, NOTHING this season is as talented as previous contestants, but sheesh!) Michael is gone because of his attitude and Tracee of the Barbie Dream Bedroom is staying. (Actually, I think Barbie Dream furniture is more sturdy that crap Tracee made with her foam core board and exacto knife.) Can you get more trite than a gondola replica in an “Italy” room? The entire thing looked like the set from the 5th grade one-act-play with special help from some of the mommies who like to hit the bourbon midday!

I never watched this show until this season. I found out recently that the winner last year was Miles of Style. I caught her show about a week ago – she did HORRIBLE! The room in the episode ended up neon yellow with black trim! Actually, it was beyond horrible. Therefore, my expectations of the contestants this year isn’t so high. I watch it because the women (+Mike) are so dramatic that my husband and I find ourselves rollin’ in laughter. I wouldn’t hire any of them to decorate my home! But I do enjoy the show just for the heck of it!
Your recaps/commentary are GREAT!

FIrst of all, the def voted the wrong person off…! Second, I liked Jen’s room, but it was still lacking, like it needed a big aged urn in the right corner or something for height; she couldv’e stolen some of Stephanie’s twigs….. 😉 Jen R

You have to realize that if a man says his favorite show is Golden Girls, he is seriously going to have problems! I do think he was booted off for mental instability. I only got to watch the last 15 minutes of the episode so your commentary really helped me out! The talent here is lacking, but I do commend Matt for thinking big even he couldn’t pull it off. I thought it looked like a set from the original Star Trek series! Remember when David made that cool “rug” out of hamster bedding in the first Design Star? Now THAT was genius!

Not impressed so far with the group this year. And do these people realize that they are also competing for their own show? What are some of these yo-yos thinking? You can’t week after week pizz people off and then have somebody hand you a contract. Can you imagine if Mike pulled his “I want my mommy” routine, but was not sent home? Ya think HGTV would hand him his own TV show? The judges already have good handle on who they’ll pick, and it’s not just how they decorate. Appeal to the public probably has way more influence than their decorating ability. After all, they have creators and writers to develop the weekly show.

I have to agree with Angela about Myles of Styles. I did like her last season, because she showed talent and didn’t back-stab, but I’d be surprised if we saw her another season. Just not enough there to keep me interested.